Corner guide system



Get. 245, as? ONES 3,348,312

CORNER GUIDE SYSTEM Filed Oct. 24, 1966 5Sheets-Sheet 1 Z VK INVENTOR. JOHN JONES Agent ct. 24, 1%"? J. JONES CORNER GUIDE SYSTEM 5 Sheets-$heet 2 Filed Oct. 24, 1966 INVENTOR JOHN JONES Agent 062$. 24-, Eg j JONES CORNER GUIDE SYSTEM 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct 24, 1966 INVENTOR. JOHN JONES Agent,

United States Patent C 3,348,312 CORNER GUIDE SYSTEM John Jones, 60 Tyndall Ave., Apt. 406, Toronto 3, Ontario, Canada Filed Oct. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 588,929 4 Claims. (Cl. 33--85) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A guide device for constructing the corner of a brick structure on a foundation including a column and means for securing the column in a vertical position adjacent the foundation. A wall aligning head slidably mounted on the column has a pair of perpendicularly disposed arms projecting therefrom and is adapted to hold a masons line to form a right angle guide for laying a course of bricks at the corner in proper alignment. The aligning head has a spring biased, manually actuable selector means which engages spaced stop elements on the column and permits rapid and accurate repositioning of the head for each course of bricks.

The invention relates to a corner guide system for use in masonry construction and pertains to a corner guide system which may be easily erected and removed from the Working area and provides accurate guide means for the laying of masonry.

A guide line is normally employed in the laying up of masonry walls and structures to insure the accurate alignment of the bricks or blocks being used. Much of the time of the mason is employed, in conventional practice, with the erection and positioning of this guide line. The line must be accurately supported if it is to be of any value and must be moved with each course being laid. Many types of corner guide devices have been proposed for overcoming this objectional and time-consuming operation in the masonry arts. However, in that many of the systems are more troublesome to employ than the conventional means of holding the line, corner guide systems have heretofore enjoyed little success. Heretofore, known corner guide systems are also often limited in their usage and are not readily adaptable to the many circumstances encountered in the mason arts.

In the normal practice of supporting a guide line, the mason first constructs the corners of the structure to a point several courses above the running wall height and supports the guide line upon these higher corner portions. A high degree of skill is required in constructing the corners and necessitate the use of high cost labour.

It is a prime purpose of the invention to provide a corner guide system wherein the support and laying out of the guide line is relatively simple and does not require the high degree of skill necessary with known or conventional methods. In the use of the invention, the corners of a building of masonry can be constructed simply and efiiciently. Also the running wall portions can be brought up with the corners and the guide line elements are used in laying out the angle of the corner as Well as determining the height of the courses thereof.

In the incorporating of relatively easy set-up and operating procedures, the invention permits the guide system to be in position prior to the daily arrival of the masons. Once the system is installed, the laying up of the masonry is substantially accelerated due to the very easy adjustment of the guide line from one course to the next by this novel apparatus. Also, time savings are realized upon using the invention in comparison with conventional masonry guide line practice.

Another object of the invention is to produce a corner guide system which may be employed With outside as 3,348,312 Patented Get. 24, 1967 well as inside corners and the system is accurate both in a vertical and horizontal direction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a masonry construction corner guide system with simple guiding means connected to a vertical column including an aligning means comprising a collar circumscribing and axially positioned on the column, a pair of perpendicularly disposed arms and a vertex pin projecting from said collar in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the column, a guide line associated with said arms and said pin adapted to form a right angle guide within the perpendicular plane, and adjustable securing means for permitting vertical adjustment of said aligning means on said column. The guide line provides a guide means for the laying of bricks in connection with the corner construction of a brick wall.

My guide system for masonry construction of a corner of a brick wall on a base foundation comprises, the combination of, a column, means for supporting said column in a vertcal position, aligning means circumscribing said column adapted to provide a right angle guide for the laying of bricks at said corner, said aligning means comprising a collar with a pair of arms and a vertex pin projecting therefrom within a plane perpendicular to the axis of said column, a guide line associated with said arms and said pin adapted to form a right angle guide, and adjustable securing means for permitting vertical adjustment of said aligning means on said column.

The column is in the form of a cylindrical pipe with four grooves running along its length and with a series of tapered holes drilled along its length between two of said grooves wherein the distance between the centre line of each of the holes may represent the spacing between courses of a certain brick gauge.

The adjustable securing means comprises a selector unit with a spring-loaded plunger which is trigger operated. The selector unit is threaded into one of the holes in the bearing and sleeve housing of the collar and the plunger slides into the holes in the column so as to permit the mason to make simple vertical adjustment of the aligning collar and the guide means so that he can lay the next course of bricks.

These and other features of the invention are more fully described in the following description and accom panying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation perspective view of the improved guiding system in position with respect to a wall corner partly in section;

FIG. 2 is a plane view, partly in section, of the angular corner abutment employed with the vertical column projecting upward from the abutment in the system of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the upper regions of the column (in phantom lines) with the aligning collar and the guide line held in place with a vertical adjusting means employed with the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a plane view, partly in section, of the aligning device and the vertical adjusting means on the vertical column.

Referring to FIG. 1 showing the corner guide assembly used with open foundation work, but it could be used with other types of construction with minor adaptations. The guide assembly 1 is shown as used with a brick masonry wall 2 which is partially erected, wherein the two intersection walls define a right angle. Beneath the brick masonry walls is shown a base wall 3 comprising a plurality of blocks which could be of the ordinary cement or cinder type laid end-to-end in courses to define the base portion of the wall of a building.

The guide assembly 1 consists basically of a vertically extending column 8 with grooves 81 and holes 82 along its length. The lower regions of the column 8 are associated with an angular corner abutment 13 by support means. The support means comprises a vertically adjusting means 9 for proper plumbing of the column 8 and a base means 10 for levelling and plumbing of the column 8. These will be better described in FIG. 2. The corner abutment 13 is mounted on and supported by holding means 18 and 19 to the blocks 3 at the intersecting walls. The abutment 13 comprises a piece of angle iron with wings '14 and 15 set at right angles to each other to define a right-angled corner and apertures 16 and 17 at the intersection of the defined corner. Holding means 18 and 19 are preferably removable tapered rods placed through apertures 16 and 17 and in the horizontal spacing between a pair of blocks at the defined corner of the wall and are secured to the blocks 3 by tapered pins 21 and 22 respectively, to support the guide system.

Attached to the column 8 at'its upper regions is an aligning collar 50 and a selector unit 78 shown best in FIGS. 3 and 4. A vertex pin 54 projects from a hole 53a in the lower regions of the collar 50, this is used to locate the vertex of the outside corner of the wall. To locate an inside corner the pin 54 would be inserted in hole 53b shown in FIG. 1. Aligning arms 56 and 57 project from the periphery of the lower regions of said collar 50 disposed at an angle to each other with line pins 61 and 62 extending from holes in the ends of said arms 56 and 57. The pins 54, 61 and 62 have holes traversing their diameters and in the ends thereof. A guide line 60 is threaded through a hole in pin 54 and end holes of pins 61 and 62 and are connected to form a right angle having an apex locatedin the proper relationship to the desired corner of the masonry which will be used by a mason when he is building the corners of a brick wall. In this manner an exact right angle guide line relationship in the horizontal plan is provided in a simplified manner. The collar 50 is adapted to circumscribe the column 8 and may be disposed at various heights thereon by the selector unit '70. Other means might be used to hold the collar 5'0 to the column 8 but the selector unit 70 is much more suitable as will be described later.

The vertical column 8 may be formed of magnesium extrusion tubing or other materials to be formed in a conventional pipe with four grooves 81 running the length of the column 8 and spaced ninety degrees apart. The grooves 31 help to strengthen the length of the column 8. A series of holes 82 can be drilled starting from the line which is level with the top of the foundation 3 along the length of the column between two of the grooves or a plurality of series of holes may be put on the column 8, one series between each groove, whichever is desired. If the holes drilled are tapered their use in the system in much easier. The holes of one series are vertically separated so as to indicate the thickness of mortar joints for use with a certain brick gauge and to give the desired distance between each course of that specific brick gauge. The column 8 may have more than one row of holes, i.e., four, if desired, which will be spaced so as to indicate the distance between each course of difi'erent brick gauges.

FIG. 2 is a plane view of the angular corner abutment 13 employed with the vertical column 8 projecting upward from the abutment with adjusting means to provide that the column 8 is truly vertical in the system.

Beneath the brick masonry wall 2 is the base portion of the wall made of foundation blocks 3. Mounted on and supported by the blocks 3 at the intersecting wall is the angular corner abutment 13. Vertical adjusting means 9 and the base means 10 project from the abutment in the J horizontal plane being positioned from the abutment 13 to ensure that when the column 8 is in a true vertical position, the guide line 60 will be positioned exactly at the corner of the brick wall so as to provide a guide for the next course of bricks to be laid. The vertical column 8 fits through a vertical opening in the vertical adjusting means 9 and is attached to the base means 10 for stability "by means described hereinbelow. The base means 10 allows adjustment to the height of the column 8 and the vertical adjusting means 9 allows the column 8 to be adjusted vertically so as to be plumbed properly.

The height of the abutment 13 is higher than the height of one of the cement blocks forming the base portion 3 of the wall. The abutment 13 has two apertures 16 and 17 at the intersection of the wings 14 and 15 spaced vertically apart so that the apertures are aligned with the horizontal spaces between the courses of the blocks in the bas foundations 3. The apertures 16 and 17 should be of such a diameter to allow only holding means with a diameter less than the spacing between the blocks to fit in them. Holding means 18 and 19 are used to connect the abutment 13 to the base of the wall for support and are inserted through the apertures 16 and 17 and the spacing between the blocks until they extend on the other side of the blocks so they. can be afiixed thereto.

The holding means 18 and 19 are preferably tapered rods threaded at one end with a hole through the diameter of the other end of the rod. The rods are put through the apertures 16 and 17 and project through the spaces between the blocks at the corner of the foundation so that back-up pins 20 and 21, shown in FIG. 1, may be placed in the holes in the rods vertically to secure the rods to the blocks. The threaded ends 22 and 23 of the rods project out of the apertures 16 and 17 and adjustable nuts 4 and 5 are tightened on so as to secure the abutment 13 to the foundation blocks 3 to provide support for the column 8 in the vertical plane.

The base means 10 is attached to the lower part of the abutment 13 below the aperture 17 and clear of it by attaching means 11 which is connected to the wings 14 and 15 while the vertical adjusting means 9 which circumscribes the column 8 passes is afiixed to the top of the abutment 13 above the aperture 16 and clear of it by attaching means 12. The lower end of the column 8 is supported by means of a circular button 26 on a concave plate 25 which is connected to a threaded bolt 24 which traverses a threaded vertical hole 6 in the base member 10. The column 8 has a plug 27 inserted in its bottom with a center opening for the button 26 to fit into. The bottom of column 8 is machined to fit on the concave plate 25. The button 26 which is attached to the plate 25, projects into the plug opening and is of a diameter so as to be closely received within. Four set screws 28 are threaded into perpendicularly-disposed threaded holes in the column 8 with the column 8 and when tightened secure the column 8 to the button 26 so that the bolt 24 may be used as a level adjustment for placing the level line at the top of the base wall 3. A set screw 28 extends through the base 10 and is used to lock the bolt 24 in place so as to provide proper leveling of the column 8.

Since the plate 25 is permanently a fixed distance from the abutment 13 upon the foundations 3, the column 8 can be vertically aligned by using the screws 28. The use of the base 10, as described in the invention, eliminates the need to use external means to determine the position of the column 8 so that the guide line 60 will provide the guide for the mason laying a corner of a wall.

The vertical adjusting means 9 which circumscribes the column 8 has a vertical opening through which the column 8 fits loosely. Four set screws 29 are threaded into four perpendicularly disposed threaded holes selectively positioned around the mean-s 9 so that each entertains a groove on the column 8. A plug 27 should be inserted in the column 8 where the screws 29 are to be tightened against the column 8 so that it will not be deformed when the screws 29 are tightened thereon. The screws 29 can be tightened or loosened to adjust the column 8 to be truly vertical. for plumbing.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the aligning collar employed with the vertical adjusting means on the column. The collar 50 consists of a bronze bearing 51 of cylindrical configuration adapted to circumscribe the column 8 (shown in phantom lines) and be axially positioned thereon which has four lugs 59 to fit in the grooves 81 of the column 8. The grooves 81 guide the bearing 51 and prevent it from turning. A sleeve housing 52, preferably of aluminum for light weight, ci-rcumscribes the bearing 51. The bearing 51 and housing 52 have in their upper regions two perpendicularly aligned threaded holes 71 and 72 used with the selector unit 70 (shown connected by the center line 90) for locating the collar 50 upon the column 8 intermediate the top of the column 8 and the abutment 13. A left-handed mason could adjust the aligning collar 50 using one hole and the other is used if the mason is right handed. The housing 52 has an annular recess 67 in its lower region with a flange 68 which is all covered by an arm holding ring 53 which is flush with the outside diameter of the housing 52. The ring 53 can rotate 360 degrees upon the housing 52. Two screws 58 (shown in FIG. 1) are threaded into perpendicularly disposed threaded holes within the ring 53 extending therethrough and into the recess 67 whereby the ring 53 may be selectively locked upon the housing 52. A pair of pins 54 and 55 spaced apart 180 degrees, project from the holes 53a and 53b respectively in the ring 53 and are selectively locked in position with pins. The pins 54 and 55 are used to locate the vertex of the outside and inside corners of a brick wall to which the guide assembly is attached. The pin 55 (not shown) would be inserted into the hole 53b (shown in FIG. 1) for an outside corner. Each vertex pin 54 or 55 has a hole drilled in its end through the diameter of the pin. A pair of aligning arms 56 and 57 project from the periphery of the arm ring 53 and are disposed at an angle to each other for use with the guide line 60 which defines a right angle for guiding the mason in the laying of corner bricks of a wall. The aligning arms 56 or 57 can be either one piece or possibly telescopic where the arms are selectively locked by pins to provide sufiicient length of arm so that a corner of a brick wall can be built. At the end of each of the arms 56 and 57 are perpendicularly disposed holes drilled through the diameter of the respective arms to engage line pins 61 and 62 which are positioned in the horizontal plane at right angles to the arms 56 and 57. Each arm 56 and 57 has holes 63 and 64 through the diameter of the arms. A pair of pins 65 and 66 are inserted in said holes 63 and 64 whereby the line pins 61 and 62 may be selectively locked on the arms 56 and 57. The arms 56 and 57 extend from the arm ring 53 an equal distance and pins are used to selectively lock it in position. Each line pin 61 and 62 has two holes 61a, 61b, and 62a, and 6211, respectively, drilled in the end free of the arms 56 and 57 one 61a, 62a through the diameter of the pin, the other 61b, 62b in the end of the pins.

A piece of guide line 60 is threaded through a hole 54a in the pin 54 and run to each of the line pins 61 and 62 on the arms 56 and 57 respectively and Wrapping the line 60 around pins 61 and 62 to secure the line 60 so that all the portions of the line 60 will be placed under equal tension. The line 60 forms a right angle in the horizontal plane which is used by the mason in the location of each course of bricks laid at the desired corner of masonry. It should be noted that upon employing the aligning collar 50 with an inside corner brick wall construction as it may be easily adapted merely by removing the pins 65 and 66 and reversing the position of line pins 61 and 62, 180 degrees so that they again lie in the horizontal plane. Then, by replacing the pins 65 and 66 and connecting the line 60 between the pin 55 and the pins 61 and 62, you have a guide line for an inside corner. A difierent abutment would have to be used, however, which fits an inside corner.

The collar 50 is positioned on the column 8 so that it is vertically adjustable on it and aligned with the select series of holes on column 8 so that either of the threaded holes 71 or 72 will be over the desired series of holes 82. The selector unit 70 can be threaded into either hole 71 or 72 in the housing 52 to connect the collar 50 and selector unit 70. This provides for easier manipulation of the combined two pieces so that a tapered plunger 73 in the selector unit 70 will fit through one of the holes 71 or 72 and into the hole 8-2 in the column 8.

As shown best in FIG. 4, the selector unit 70 comprises a casing 75 enclosing a trigger operated device 74 afiixed to a shaft 76 with a tapered plunger 73 connected at the end extending from the casing 75. The casing 75 has a spring chamber with a spring 86 enclosed therein loosely circumscribing the shaft 76 that the unit is spring loaded. The plunger 73 is used to accurately locate each hole 82 in the column 8. The distance between each hole 82 represents the gauge of each course of brick.

To operate the selector unit 70 when it is screwed into threaded hole 71, as shown in FIG. 4, the trigger 74 is squeezed causing the shaft 76 to retract so that the holes 87 and 88 align to form an opening for a pin 89 to be inserted and the plunger 73 to retract from the holes 82 and 71. As shown in FIG. 3, a pin 89 may be inserted or the trigger device 74 may be held by the mason, whichever is desirable. The collar 53 is then moved vertically until the hole 71 is aligned with the next hole 82 up the column 8. By releasing the trigger 74 the mason allows the plunger 73 to be seated in the next hole 82 which will give the mason the guide line 60 in a position to show him the proper positioning of the next course of bricks for building the corner.

In use, once the line 60 is properly vertically located, the mason may begin laying the bricks and upon laying suflicient number of bricks in each course thereof, will raise the guide line 60 merely by withdrawing the plunger 73 from the hole 82 and sliding the collar 50 upon the column 8 to the next hole 82. The plunger 73 is released and extends into the hole 82 to hold the collar 50 with the guide line 60 in position to guide the mason in the laying of the next course of bricks.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a guide device for construction of a corner of a masonry structure on a base foundation, the combination of: a column having a plurality of spaced-apart openings formed along its length, means for supporting said column in a vertical position adjacent said foundation, a bearing member slidably mounted on said column and having at least one radial aperture formed therein, a sleeve circumscribing said bearing member and having radial apertures therein adapted to be aligned with said bearing aperture, an arm holder ring circumscribing said sleeve, a pair of arms and a vertex pin projecting from said ring within a plane perpendicular to the axis of said column, a guide line associated with said arms and said pin adapted to form a right angle guide for alignment of bricks at said corner, a selector means fixed in said sleeve aperture having a releasable securing element adapted to pass through said bearing aperture and engage said column openings thereby permitting selective vertical adjustment of said bearing and associated sleeve and ring on said column.

2. The guide device of claim 1 wherein said support means comprises an abutment member adapted to embrace the corner of said base foundation, securing means for afiixing said abutment to said base foundation, an upper member projecting from said abutment and circumscribing said column, a base member projecting from said abutment below said upper member and adapted to support said column, said upper member having .a plurality of radially adjustable screws for permitting vertical alignment of said column, said base member having a vertically disposed threaded rod associated therewith and plate means at the lower end of said column for centering the column on said rod and enabling turning of the rod independent of the column whereby the height of the column can be adjusted.

- 3. The guide system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said column is a tubular member of circular crosssection having at least 2 rows of openings and a plurality of grooves formed along its length spaced 90 apart, said bearing having lugs projecting into said grooves to prevent turning of the bearing on said column and the spacing between the holes in each series correspondingto a separate standard course of bricks.

4. In a guide device for'construction of a corner of a masonry wall on a base foundation, the combination of an elongated column having a row of spaced-apart stop elements formed therein, an abutment member having integral wings at right angles to each other and adapted to embrace the corner of the base foundation, securing means for aflixing said abutment to said foundation, column supporting means connected to said abutment and adapted to support said column while enabling adjustment in the height and vertical alignment thereof, a wall aligning means slidably mounted on said column,

said aligning means including a collar circumscribing said 2 column, a pair of perpendicularly disposed arms projecting from said collar defining an angle within a plane perpendicular to the axis of said column, a vertex pin projecting from said collar within the perpendicular plane of said arms, a guide line associated with said arms and said vertex pin adapted to form a right angle guide within said perpendicular plane for the laying of the course of bricks at said corner, selector means mounted on said collar having a manually actuable spring biased securing element for releasably engaging the stop means in said column, said selector means having a pistol grip and an associated trigger means for finger actuation of the spring biased securing element thereby permitting convenient selective vertical adjustment of said aligning means on said column.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,880,261 10/1932 Larsen 3385 1,909,267 5/1933 Golt 33--85 2,656,608 10/1953 Craig 61 a1. 3385 3,017,701 1/1962 Jernigan 33-85 FOREIGN PATENTS 68,555 2/1949 'Denmark. 1,296,913 5/1962 France.

629,085 9/1949 Great Britain.

HARRY N. HAROIAN, Primary Examiner.

LEONARD FORMAN, Examiner. 

1. IN A GUIDE DEVICE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A CORNER OF A MASONARY STRUCTURE ON A BASE FOUNDATION, THE COMBINATION OF: A COLUMN HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED-APART OPENINGS FORMED ALONG ITS LENGTH, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID COLUMN IN A VERTICAL POSITION ADJACENT SAID FOUNDATION, A BEARING MEMBER SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID COLUMN AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE RADIAL APERTURE FORMED THEREIN, A SLEEVE CIRCUMSCRIBING SAID BEARING MEMBER AND HAVING RADIAL APERTURES THEREIN ADAPTED TO BE ALIGNED WITH SAID BEARING APERTURE, AN ARM HOLDER RING CIRCUMSCRIBING SAID SLEEVE, A PAIR OF ARMS AND A VERTEX PIN PROJECTING FROM SAID RING WITHIN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF SAID COLUMN, A GUIDE LINE ASSOCIATED WITH SAID TURNS AND SAID PIN ADAPTED TO FORM A RIGHT ANGLE GUIDE FOR ALIGNMENT OF BRICKS AT SAID CORNER, A SELECTOR MEANS FIXED IN SAID SLEEVE APERTURE HAVING A RELEASABLE SECURING ELEMENT ADAPTED TO PASS THROUGH SAID 